How To Elevate Your Life And Become A 'Lighthouse' For Others In The Dark
A guide for how to help others find calmness during turbulent times.
Subbotina Anna / shutterstock A lighthouse is a tower, building, or another type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Metaphorically speaking, a lighthouse is a person, who by remaining steady and constant, has the ability to guide others during otherwise turbulent times. While much of the world is in turmoil, the human lighthouse provides stability to weather the turbulent seas of life and lead others toward calm seas.
All of this sounds wonderful and inspired but where would we find this person? Does this type of person even exist and if they do, how were they able to become that steady light, acting as a beacon for those making their way through the darkness?
Be the lighthouse
The truth is that we all have the capacity to become the lighthouse. It takes effort and discipline, and it is most often through robust spiritual practices that we can become one. The most divine part of all of this is that we need only to place our attention on our own meditation and yoga practice. As we elevate our own internal light and broadcast outward, the “ships” will arrive with no additional effort on our part.
How steady can we be when everything around us appears to be in tumult?
How constant can we hold and emit our light to others, allowing them to guide themselves to the shore of peace and equanimity? When others are being drawn into the perceived chaos enveloping the world, the most pressing question becomes “Can we hold the light of love within us to create healing for anyone that enters our field?”
Before we answer any of these questions, we must first and foremost erect our own personal lighthouse. We must build the foundation of our lighthouse through important self-care that most effectively begins each morning before we venture out into the world.
Yogis rise before the sun in order to dedicate time in silence to themselves to activate their light for the world to see.
This often isn’t a glamorous practice. It is done in complete solitude with no fanfare. The yogi does this practice with only one goal— self-improvement. There is no desire to change anyone else. Simple self-enrichment is the goal. As we all know, a lighthouse isn’t built in a day.
When construction begins there are no ships waiting for it to be raised from the ground. However, when a lighthouse is needed, the captain of a ship most likely never considers the work that went into constructing the lighthouse. He only knows that he is grateful for the light coming off of the edifice to guide him to the shore. This is not unlike the human lighthouse.
Seldom do those in need consider the amount of work that was undertaken in order to illuminate the inner light.
Instead, people are only grateful that light exists and is able to help guide them. Building a physical lighthouse takes time and effort and so, too, does building a “human lighthouse.” Weeks, months, and even years pass as the construction is undertaken with little to no fanfare.
Not unlike breaking ground on the construction of a physical structure, we must only make the choice to begin the project of creating our own personal lighthouse. We must break ground on ourselves by diving into the spiritual practices of yoga and meditation. This is the only way we can construct our lighthouse. We must begin building each day, brick by brick, until finally we have a structure that is capable of holding the light. This is done through the power of mantra, breath, mudra, and asanas— each a necessary brick in the construction of our yogic lighthouse.
When we combine these aspects of yogic disciplines, we activate the light within to shine for all to see.
We become steady and constant. We shine our light eternally, waiting for those in distress to arrive. In the meantime, we shine our light no matter the circumstance, whether the seas are stormy or calm, our lighthouse shines and becomes the beacon on the horizon of life. We become the way. We become the lighthouse. We are the light that others seek. This is how we elevate the world. Be the lighthouse.
David Ahearn is the author of the book Happy Accidents: The transformative power of 'Yes, and' at work and in life, and teaches organizations the secrets of 'Yes And', which helps improve group performance. He is a sought-after speaker and host for corporate functions and lives in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.